418 DISSECTION OF THE ABDOMEN. 



The SPF.KM A TIC CORD (fig. 140, F -) extends from the internal abdominal 

 ring to the testis, and consists mainly of the vessels and the efferent duct 

 of the gland, united together by coverings from the structures by or through 

 which they pass. 



In the wall of the abdomen the cord lies obliquely, because its aperture 

 of entrance amongst, is not opposite its aperture of exit from the muscles; 

 but escaped from the abdomen, it descends almost vertically to its destina- 

 tion. As it lies in this oblique passage named the inguinal canal, it is 

 placed (externally) beneath the internal oblique, and rests against the 

 fascia transversalis ; but beyond the lower border of the oblique muscle, it 

 lies on the upper surface of Poupart's ligament, with the aponeurosis of 

 the external oblique between it and the surface of the body, and the con- 

 joined tendon behind it. 



Its several coverings are derived from strata in the wall of the abdomen. 

 Thus, from within out come, the subperitoneal fat, the tube of the fascia 

 transversalis, the cremaster muscle continuous with the internal oblique, 

 the intercolumnar fascia from the external oblique muscle, and lastly the 

 superficial fascia and the skin. 



The round ligament, or the suspensory cord of the uterus, occupies the 

 inguinal canal in the female, and ends in the integuments of the groin. 

 Its coverings are similar to those of the spermatic cord, except it wants 

 the cremaster. 



Dissection. The constituents of the cord will be displayed by cutting 

 through longitudinally, and turning aside the different surrounding layers, 

 and removing the areolar tissue. The dissector should trace branches of 

 the genito-crural nerve and epigastric artery into the cremasteric covering. 

 Vessels and nerves of the cord. In the cord are collected together the 

 spermatic artery and vein which convey the blood to, and take it away 

 from the testis ; the nerves and lymphatics of the testicle ; and the vas 

 deferens or the efferent duct. 



In the female a branch from the ovarian artery enters the round 

 ligament. 



The vas deferens reaches from the testicle to the urethra, and is placed 

 behind the other vessels of the cord ; it will be recognized by its resem- 

 blance in feel to a piece of whipcord, when it is taken between the finger 

 and the thumb. As it enters the abdomen through the opening in the 

 fascia transversalis (internal ring), it lies on the inner side of the vessels 

 of the testicle; and as it begins its descent to the pelvis, it winds behind 

 the epigastric artery. 



Cremasteric artery and nerve. The cremasteric covering of the cord has 

 a separate artery and nerve. The artery is derived from the epigastric, 

 and is distributed to the coverings of the cord. The genital branch of the 

 genito-crural nerve enters the cord by the internal abdominal ring, and 

 ends in the cremaster muscle. 



Cutaneous vessels and nerves are supplied to the teguments of the cord 

 from the superficial pudic artery and the ilio-inguinal nerve. 



Dissection. By cutting through the spermatic cord near the pubes, and 

 raising it towards the inner abdominal ring, a fibrous band below Pou- 

 part's ligament, the deep crural arch, will appear : it passes inwards to the 

 pubf-s, and is to be defined with some care. 



The remaining vessels of the abdominal wall, viz., the epigastric and 

 circumflex iliac, and the ending of the internal mammary artery are to be 

 next dissected. The epigastric and mammary arteries will be observed on 



